Looking around the house,
looking with a new perspective,
I am re-evaluating the overall look of the house.
Comparing my existing artwork, decorative items,
linens, plants, planters, drawer pulls, and light fixtures
with French looking items gives me ideas of how
I want to change the details in my house so
the house has a decided French feel.
A French-Inspired Garden and Home
is the look I love and want to recreate in my own home.
As changes were made to the master bathroom this summer,
I looked for ways to give it an even more French feel.
At the end of spring, way back in early May,
I decided the master bathroom needed some changes.
What began with making the vanity drawer space more usable
kept expanding to more and more changes.
You know how that goes... one thing leads to many others.
The two large drawers on each end of the master vanity no longer
seemed like a good idea as I struggled to open them and then struggled
to find what I was looking for inside the large top drawers.
We re-used the original drawer fronts and cut them into
the two smaller drawer fronts.
Compare the photos....
The first photo is how the vanity looks now in September after changes,
the second photo is during the transition this summer, and
the third photo is how the vanity looked in May before any changes.
A small-sized drawer and a medium-sized drawer now
take the place of the former large top drawer on each end of the vanity.
Best of all, all of the drawers have new glides that make them so much easier to open.
The most noticeable change is the new white paint.
The wooden ceiling with exposed beams makes the room darker
than a room with a painted sheetrock ceiling.
The white painted cabinets help make the room brighter
and reflect the light from both the light fixtures and the sunlight
streaming in through the shuttered window.
The hardest part to paint was the toe space at the bottom
because of the weird angle I had to hold my arm.
It became much easier to paint after I put down painter's tape on the floor tile.
New white painted wrought iron drawer pulls add a French look
because they have a raised curved botanical pattern that has
a fleur-de-lis look.
Not only do all of the drawers have drawer pulls,
but a pull was also added to the center fixed raised panel below the sink.
The drawer pulls are from Hobby Lobby and were bought during one
of the periodic half-price sales on drawer pulls.
Rust-Oleum Heirloom White spray paint made painting the pulls so easy.
I think the vanity looks more like French furniture now.
What do you think?
Once the structural changes were made to the vanity to give it
a French design and better usability, I then focused on accessories.
I love French lavender plants, but they need to grow outside.
When it came time to replace the lavender plant that was on the vanity,
I found a live double topiary at Walmart.
One of the main distinctions between French and English gardens
is the French create sculpted, manicured lawns, trees, and flower gardens,
whereas the English create free-form, blowsy landscapes.
After transplanting the topiary from the small plastic pot to
a larger French-styled Guy Wolff clay pot, I kept the plant outside
on the deck in the shade to help it become more established.
From time to time, I clipped new shoots to maintain the original shape.
So, what to do with the white oval planter that formerly held the lavender?
Use it as hand towel and bath cloth holder!
The perfect size and shape to keep towels and bath cloths handy near the sink.
Two French fragrances sit beside the sink.
Williams-Sonoma French Lavender hand soap, half price at their outlet stores,
releases a light lavender fragrance each time I wash my hands.
Close your eyes, and you are walking through a lavender field in Provence.
Lancôme's Ô de l'Orangerie spray eau de toilette has a light citrus-y scent.
Close your eyes, and you are walking in a "serene French garden."
The new smaller drawers are just the right size to hold more French Lancôme
and other toiletries that previously sat on a tray atop the vanity.
French chateaux in the Loire Valley are among my favorite places
to visit whenever I am in France.
Framed prints of Chambord and Chenonceau Chateaux
hang beneath a small clay fleur-de-lis with a small ivory
ribbon visually connecting the fleur-de-lis and the two prints.
One of the most economical souvenirs of French chateaux is
small colored prints sold at the gift shops on the grounds of each chateau.
Plus, small cards are easy to pack in a suitcase and do not weigh much at all.
Two real factors in souvenir shopping are bulk and weight and become
more and more important the longer you are in France.
Heavy suitcases do not make for a fun trip!
Once home, you can frame the prints using pre-made inexpensive frames like
these beautiful blue and gold carved frames from Michaels.
A close-up photo of the Chenonceau print shows the beautiful details and
colors in this inexpensive print of my favorite French chateau.
For several years these two prints hung over a desk in a guest room,
but are now perfect hanging at the end of the master vanity.
Remember... one thing leads to another?
A quick trip through HomeGoods this summer, and
I found this white textured washable cotton rug
that is the perfect size in front of the vanity.
I wasn't looking for a rug,
but could not pass up this great find.
The white rug is another way to lighten the room.
I love the massive wooden beams that are the structure of the house
and do not plan to change their color, but I sure do like how the white painted
vanity and new white rug help brighten the bathroom.
In case you are wondering, the cracks in the beams are not a structural problem.
Our house was built from new northern pine, and the sawmill architects
assured us that it is normal for the wood to crack as it shrinks,
for up to seven years!
For those first seven years it was not unusual to be awakened
in the middle of night from a loud CRACKing sound.
For the past twenty years, no more loud cracking,
just contracting and expanding a little all during the year
depending upon temperature and humidity.
Now I'm looking at the medium blue painted bead board and thinking,
"A light blue like the walls would be nice."
One thing always leads to another.
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Blog Elevated Conference
&
Round Top Antiques Fair
Fun times just around the corner...
If you are going to either one,
let me know, so we can say, "Hi," and
maybe have a Coke and piece of pie together.
Please join me at these inspiring sites...
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